Chapter 563: You Should Rest

"So if no one else knows," she said slowly, "then how did Voss get close enough to Vito?"

He realised then that all he had to give her to piece it together was Winn Kane’s visit. The police had questioned the Kanes. That had been the first visible crack. Vee knew the Kanes had helped Valentina. She knew enough already. One more thread and she would pull the whole ugly thing into the light.

Would she still be this accepting when she realised the sister she had given her life for was the one trying to remove him from the list she had just outlined?

But what happened when one person on that list threatened another? What happened when love stood on both sides of the knife?

If Veronica knew and chose to protect Val, it would put her at the mercy of the famiglia. She had earned their respect so far. But this? Protecting a traitor because she was her sister?

No.

That was not a burden he would place on her. Maybe he was a coward.

Fine.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You should rest, Bambola."

Vee closed her eyes for one second beneath the kiss then opened them. "How long before this comes off?" she asked, raising her bandaged hand. "I am completely done with this, Luca."

"The stitches will be removed in a couple of days," Luca assured her. "Then you can start exercising it gradually."

Vee hooked one finger into the waistband of Luca’s trousers and pulled him closer. "Find Vito and end him...I do not plan on visiting you in jail."

Luca looked down at her. There were times when Veronica still surprised him. Some part of him still wanted to wrap softness around her and keep her untouched by the things his world demanded.

Too late.

His world had touched her.

"Voss is keeping everything secret," Luca said. "Not even a whisper on the streets. But we’ll find him." He pulled her into a hug before she could make another order. His arms closed around her carefully. One hand at her back, the other at her waist. He kissed her hair and breathed her in. He sighed into her hair. He had to find a way to undo everything Valentina had done.

People who betrayed out of fear and love? Those were the dangerous ones. They could justify anything.

The road the girl had taken led to one ending. One ending only. And unless Luca found a way to drag her off it without breaking Veronica’s heart, the whole family would bleed.

****

"Useless! Hopeless!" Valentina yelled.

This time, she had gone to Voss’s house. A brilliant idea, obviously, if one’s goal was to turn a criminal investigation into a personal breakdown. Voss had barely opened the door before she stormed inside like a woman possessed, hair slightly dishevelled, handbag clutched in one hand.

"Valentina," Voss snapped, shutting the door quickly behind her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"How powerful can one man be?" she demanded. Her voice bounced off the walls of his modest living room. "Do you understand what it means that he is out on bail?"

Voss grabbed the curtain and checked the street before turning back to her. "You are going to blow everything."

"Oh, fuck you."

His jaw tightened. "Lower your voice."

"I came to you because I thought you would be able to put Luca away, but he seems to be more powerful than the entire police department."

"That is not what happened."

"He is free."

"He is on bail."

"That sounds like free to me."

"It is not."

"He is breathing outside a cell, Voss. He is home with my sister. He is planning. Smiling that fucking smile like he already knows how this ends."

Voss stepped closer. "Valentina, lower your goddamned voice."

"You let the dog out!" she shouted. "The point was to keep him locked up."

"That is not how the justice system works."

"Then what is the use of it?"

"He is going to trial."

"The man I saw when he got back did not look afraid of trial. He will probably buy the judge, threaten the jury and walk out looking like a wronged saint."

Voss was beginning to see the fray in Valentina now. Something tearing loose. This was not going to end well.

"If you cannot get Luca away from our lives," Val hissed, "then I will do it myself." She turned to storm away.

Voss moved before she reached the door, grabbing her by the arm.

"Let go of me."

"You are talking crazy right now. You are talking like someone who wants to get herself killed."

Her eyes flashed. "Maybe that is better than waiting for him to destroy us."

"Listen to yourself." Voss tightened his grip just enough to stop her from pulling free. "Luca is the one we want in jail, not you in a box. Do not do anything...And trust me."

"Trust you?" she whispered.

"This is the closest I have ever gotten. When did you start this cause? A couple of months ago? I started this years ago. Years, Val. I have buried myself in this. I have lost sleep, career chances and this is the closest I have ever gotten. For God’s sake, Val, please... don’t ruin this."

"I don’t give a shit about you or your cause," Valentina snapped. "The longer Luca is in our lives, we are not safe. If you cannot do anything about it, then I will."

"Valentina—"

"No." She snatched her arm away from him. "I am done waiting." She turned and walked out of the apartment before he could stop her.

The hallway blurred around her. Her pulse pounded in her ears. She was angry at Voss, angry at Luca, angry at Marco for being away, angry at Vee for loving the wrong man so completely, and angriest of all at herself because beneath all that rage was fear.

She pushed through the building door and walked angrily to her car, pressing the fob to unlock it. The lights flashed. She reached for the handle.

Then Luca’s voice came from behind her.

(Powered by 100 power stones. Its midnight already so it will probably happen between now and morning. Better to get it up.)